ABSTRACT
The Nordic Region is peaceful and prosperous, with few internal or international conflicts. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have many similarities in culture, traditions and social structure. The five countries cooperate extensively in almost all sectors of private and public affairs. The Nordic countries find cooperation valuable as an objective in itself, but especially as a means for strengthening defence within the larger Western security framework. The Nordic states have traditionally placed strong emphasis on participation in UN peacekeeping. In peacetime, Nordic cooperation will focus on continuing efforts to improve defence capabilities and deterrence and ensure stability and predictability in the region. The Nordic states are heavily interlinked across the public and private spheres. In the future, the defence and security policies of the five Nordic countries will likely exhibit many commonalities. Most defence cooperation in the Nordic region takes the form of bilateral arrangements or arrangements made outside the Nordic framework.
